The present invention relates to surgical devices and procedures, and more particularly to an improved electrical lead and associated method of using the same for temporarily connecting a heart to an external pacemaker.
In the postoperative period following heart surgery, it sometimes becomes necessary to temporarily assist the heart of a patient using an external cardiac pacemaker. In such situations, insulated lead wires are typically sutured to the heart wall prior to chest closure to provide proper electrical contacts for effective pacemaker operation. After the chest of the patient is closed, the wires, which extend from the heart through the skin, can be easily connected to the pacemaker for applying appropriate electrical stimulation to the heart. When the pacemaker is no longer needed, the protruding lead wires are pulled from the sutures thereby breaking them free from the heart wall so that the surgeon may withdraw the wires completely out of the body through the skin.
The practice of first suturing lead wires to the heart wall and then pulling them from the wall to accomodate the temporary use of an external cardiac pacemaker can have undesirable consequences. Firstly, suturing the lead wires into electrical contact with the heart can cause a severe trauma to the heart, which obviously is to be avoided with a heart patient. Secondly, pulling the sutured lead wires from the heart wall can result in serious tissue damage to the heart wall.